Vision Of Insanity
by Rayraypotata
Summary: AU in Nazi Germany. Levi Ackerman is a tailor and Erwin Smith is a newly promoted SS officer in need of a uniform. Eruri and NOT a smut. Fluff mostly.


"Are you ready to close up?"

Levi glanced up from his work briefly to assure her that he was listening, then returned his focus to his hands. He had labored plenty today, and the stiffness residing in his fingers was all the encouragement it took for him to nod reluctantly at Hanje.

She joyfully flipped the wooden sign dangling from the window from _Open_ to _Closed_ while humming an unfamiliar tune. "If I hadn't spoken, you'd still be glued to that silly jacket!"

"If you hadn't spoken, I would have been much happier," he muttered around the multiple pins jutting from his lips. He took one out and swiftly pushed it into a mannequin to mark his place. It was a fine job he had done; the dark blue thread was almost invisible on the navy blazer, and no evidence of a tear could be seen. It had taken him nearly two hours of continuous sewing to patch up a small part the gaping hole. How a man could rip it right down the middle puzzled him. Removing the rest of the pins from his mouth, he opened his small tin box containing dozens of similar pins and carefully set them inside.

"It looks very nice, Levi," Hanje smoothed her hand over the fabric.

He slapped the straying hand away, "Don't touch it, four-eyes. It isn't finished yet."

She retracted her arm but stared at the clothing, "I think Hanes will be satisfied with it. He was so worried that you wouldn't be able to fix it!"

Levi snorted. He was confident enough in his dexterous ability to assure himself that he could accomplish any feat; well, as long as it was sewing. "Tell him it will be ready at noon tomorrow."

"Alright, but don't push yourself too hard. You need a little sleep," She scolded, pushing up her glasses. "I'm going to head out. Are you gonna stay closed for the holiday?"

"When have I closed for a holiday?"

"I don't believe you ever have."

"So why would I start now?" Levi said, annoyed with Hanje already.

She shrugged, "It was just an idea. Seeya!" Waving, she pushed open the door and stepped out into the cold.

After she was out of sight, Levi pulled the blinds closed and turned off all the lights, save for a single lamp. He inspected his tired fingers. The swolleness alone frightened him, but at the same time filled him with pride. It was a strange feeling to have; afraid of damage, yet proud of the effort it took to induce the pain.

When he turned to his green cushioned chair, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in an oval mirror he keeps around for the customer's sake. It was not a pretty sight. He was handsome, yes, but the exhausted mask he almost always had was dulling his normally striking features. There was stubble poking out around his chin and jaw, unkempt and looking slightly dirty. Although still stunning, his sunken grey eyes had lost the light they once had, now replaced by a sharp, sarcastic glint. The black mess on top of his head could not be called hair. It resembled a rats nest, knots and split ends were obviously apparent. In all honesty, he was shocked he had let himself go to rock bottom.

Sighing, he slid his favorite book out from the shelf, and gave little thought to his own well-being and health. If there was work to be done, Levi was the first one to start, first to finish, and the first to ask for more. Downtime, in his small world, was the fatal flaw in most men of his caliber. They chose to be idle while men, women, and children were begging for work. He pondered on that aggressive thought for a moment, then dismissed the subject all together; it wasn't worth his time.

He opened the book slowly, flipping through the pages carefully as to avoid unnecessary tears. It was an aged book. Yellowing pages, peeling glue, wrinkled binding; the whole deal. It was even more sacred now that the Nazi's were burning every peice of literature they deemed poisonous; and this specific book had a message that was not as Christian as they might like. The outcome didn't look good for Levi's novel.

Nevertheless, he found his original place and began to skim the information he already had read thousands of times. Pip was his least favorite character, and reading his dialogue almost discouraged him from continuing. _It is ironic that I would hate the one I could relate to the most_ he thought to himself, almost speaking out loud in the empty shop. Great Expectations could not be compared to any other slapped together plot in Germany. Of course, he believed the original English version was much smoother in terms of sentence structure, or maybe the language was simply more beautiful. Levi hated German. It was too sharp, angry, and harsh. English was a poetic, romantic, and natural on his tongue, and in his mind.

 _English_

 _England_

 _Come back for me, mein leibe_

He cut himself off, slamming the book covers shut. Hanje was right, he did need to rest. His head was in the clouds again.

 _If I come back, I'll never leave_

He climbed the stairs.

 _You shouldn't want to leave!_

Frustration rushed through him without warning.

 _You've changed_

He staggered the rest of the way to his room, leaning on the doorframe for support.

 _Nien. It is you who has changed. What happened to immer?_

 _Immer_

 _Immer_

 _Im_

 _STOP_

Levi ran his fingers through his ragged hair slowly, pulling apart a majority of the tangles. Flipping on the light switch, he tugged his cravat off harshly. He blankly stared at the white material clutched in his hand. It used to be a symbol of his refinement, but now it was just suffocating and confining. He could feel his face twisting in disgust; appreciating the finer things in life was one thing he did, but lately it felt like he was diving into the darker side of class. It hit the floor without grace in a crumpled heap. His jacket fell to the ground, lacking any importance, as did his belt. As soon as his fingers brushed against the first button on his shirt, a raw sob broke past his lips. He hadn't noticed the few tears that managed to escape, but now he could not deny it; he had lost everything.


End file.
